Heart of Gold, Soul of Silver: I've Got Neither
by keeyote
Summary: Five years ago, Team Rocket were 'disbanded'. But in reality, they went into hiding. They started recruiting top trainers to help them with their "research". One of these top recruited trainers happens to be me. Rated T for language.
1. Intro

A while ago, a kid named Red saved the region of Kanto from these guys called Team Rocket. Three years after that, a guy named Gold saved Johto from the same team. After that day, Team Rocket was officially disbanded. But that was five years ago. And a lot of stuff changes in five years.

My name is Axel, and I was born and raised in Olivine City. My sister, Megan, became a top coordinator. She takes after my mom, who was pretty good before she retired. I never got into contests. It's too girly if you ask me. But what I really liked was the battles. Now, _that_ is action. So I caught some pokemon and organized a team. Then I went around collected badges. After that, I entered some tournaments. I was pretty good too. I won some and I lost some, but I did well either way. That's all I did for years. But then, when I was sixteen, I learned something.

Team Rocket was never really disbanded. In fact, a guy named Archer got a bunch of people together and went into hiding. They spent those five years building new secret bases. Then, they started recruiting people. And these guys weren't all just lowly grunts with rattata and zubat. These guys were really good trainers. And one of these really good trainers hired by Team Rocket is me.

I joined the day after this tournament held at the National Park. I came in first (no surprise there), and I had the whole day to hang out. So I let all my Pokemon out and we went for a walk in the park. Then, this lady with red hair in a white coat came over. She smiled and held out her hand. "Congratulations." I smiled and shook her hand. I mean, I couldn't be rude. It was at that moment I noticed the infamous red 'R' on her coat.

I think she noticed me looking at it, because she became very serious suddenly. "Listen, kid, I got an offer for you." She grabbed my hand and led me into the woods. I really wished I had my Pokemon with me, but they had wandered off.

I ripped my hand from her. "Now, don't be rude," she said, laughing.

"What do you want?" I had asked. She handed me a pamphlet. I read all about Team Rocket in that little pamphlet. The people who run it, the stuff they do, the stuff they did, everything.

"We've been watching you along with many others," she said as I read, "And we want to use your skills to help us."

I smiled despite the situation. "How many have turned you down so far?"

She frowned. "Many. But some haven't. So? Are you in or not."

"Don't you just run around stealing pokemon and selling them?" She laughed at this. I didn't get it.

"No, no. We've moved on now. We have all the money we need. Now we get into the good stuff."

Then she looked straight at me and gave me the sweetest smile I've ever seen on a grown woman. "We've moved on now. We're going to catch ultra rare Pokemon. Then, we're going to do research on them." I raised an eyebrow. "Really?" I said.

She nodded. "C'mon kid. What else do you have to do?"

I had plenty to do, I could have said. But instead, I kept my mouth shut. I would love to say I'm not that kind of guy, that I've got a heart of gold. But that isn't true. I've been getting in all kinds of trouble since God knows when. And no matter how many times I've been yelled at, I still think its a thrill.

I've grown up hearing tons of stories about Team Rocket and how cruel they are to pokemon. But it just never concerned me. I mean, how bad could it be? Tons of pokemon fight until they pass out, and yet they whine when this team apparently abuses them.

People would think of me of some heartless jerk, but I think that's a bit over the top. I'm not heartless. I just don't give a damn. That's just the way I am, I guess.

I think the lady was getting irritated because I was staring at her with a blank expression. "Kid," she said, "We have money. We have power. We have whatever you want to have. We're going to be running the entire world! Just think, kid. You, with all that money, all that power! How could you resist? You can have whatever you want!"

Most people would disagree with my decision. But they don't understand. If you put any guy in my place, they would say yes. I could have whatever I wanted. Think. Would you really turn them down?

So I took her hand and shook it. "I'm Ariana, by the way," she had said with a smile.

"Axel," I said.

From that point on, I would work undercover for Team Rocket. Whenever they told me to capture this Pokemon or defeat that trainer, I would do it. And in return, I got whatever I wanted. Plus, it got pretty fun. I learned that the life of a criminal is way more exciting with danger at ever corner.

It was perfect


	2. Chapter 1

I watched the pokemon flit across the screen, their trainers engrossed in the battle. It was pretty important, too. It was the semifinals after all, and they were both down to their last pokemon. The camera zoomed in each of the trainers' faces. I could tell that neither of them was ready to lose.

The venusaur unleashed a massive solarbeam that went spiraling towards the kingdra. I smiled to myself. That kingdra looked exhausted. The trainer was screwed. I grabbed one of my pokeballs and started tossing it into the air and catching it. The solarbeam hit its mark right on. There was a huge explosion, and the crowd went wild. That kingdra was knocked out for sure.

The smoke began to clear, yet the silhouette showed the kingdra still standing. And then, as the camera zooms in on the pokemon, you can see the protect shield around it. I've gotta say, the look on the venusaur trainer's face is priceless. He's mortified. As for the kingdra trainer; she has a little smirk on her face.

While I was catching the pokeball I was tossing, I guess I accidentally released the pokemon inside. Crocodilia, my feraligatr, appeared before me. He was different from most feraligatr, and that credit goes to me. I dyed his red spikes green, spikes that were longer than normal. One really creepy thing about him was the fact that his eyes were bright green and pupil-less. I gave him a spiked collar just to add on the hardcore to him.

God, he and I have been together for such a long time. I remember finding him as a totodile on Olivine Beach. He was my first pokemon, and is my most trustworthy partner.

He looked at me questionably. I pointed at the screen. "See that, Crocodilia? One of those guys is gonna be our opponent next," I explain. I sure hope it's not the girl though. She looks tough. And smart. "But she's kind of hot, too," I mutter to myself. Crocodilia, who was previously staring at the screen, turns to snap at me. He isn't a fan of my flirting habits.

"Hydro pump!" The kingdra trainer yells out. Hydro pump? The hell is that going to do? It's a grass type you moron. The kingdra obeys her anyway, and a huge surge of water hurtles towards the venusaur. The huge grass type was too slow to even attempt to dodge that. It hits dead on, and the venusaur goes flying. And then, it faints.

Oh man, I am so screwed against that girl. The crowd's going crazy. Everyone's cheering. I can't even hear the sound from the television because the cheering outside is so loud.

I lean back into the couch. I was really hoping I wasn't gonna have to worry. The spectators outside start cheering the winning trainers name. Konnie, huh. What a weird name.

I look at Crocodilia, who is still staring at the screen. Konnie's face engulfs it. Thousands of people are watching this. They all see her smile and wave at the screen. They all see the look on the guy's face, the one that just lost in front of thousands of people. I hope that won't be me.

Someone taps me on the shoulder. "Axel, your match is starting in fifteen minutes," one of the staff says. Oh great. I nod, and he leaves without another word.

Two seconds later, a reporter springs in front of me. "Axel, are you nervous for your match against Konnie?" She shoves the microphone in my face so quickly that it hits my nose. Hard.

"How many times have you asked me this? The answer is no. It's always been no. I don't get nervous," I growl while rubbing my nose. Now the cameraman shoves the camera in my face. Lovely. I angrily push it away. More people start flooding in. I think I might drown in the sea of bodies.

Crocodilia, my hero, comes to my rescue. He lunges at the paparazzi, baring his teeth and growling. He does a good job of looking scary. The reporters, surprisingly, get the idea and quickly leave.

I thank Crocodilia and pat him on the head. "We should be safe in the waiting room." I lead him to the nice comfy room far away from all the trainers and reporters and annoying kids. There I'll have to wait for another ten minutes or so. Then, it's show time.

I start to release my other five pokemon. First, Downbeat the ampharos. One kind of annoying trait Downbeat has: She always has this calm expression on her face. She almost looks bored half the time, even in the heat of a battle. DB turned out to be my electric powerhouse. Water, flying, you name it; she took them all down on my command. Not only that, but she's really good at keeping the team together.

A weird trait is the fact she has crimson eyes instead of the normal beady black. That was the thing that caught my attention when she was a mareep. When I caught her, I thought that if I was going to have Crocodilia all badass looking, why not make Downbeat badass too? So I gave her some

I then let Red Baron the scizor out. Scizor is my number one all time favorite pokemon. Ever. So it was no surprise that I caught a scyther during the Bug Catching Contest to later evolve it into a Scizor. Red Baron is always trying to prove himself, probably because he never lived down the fact that he was placed third in the Bug Catching Contest. That really annoyed him. Unlike most scizor, RB is a lot less calm and serious. He's actually a lot like me, show off, cocky, and all of my other good traits. An example of this is the fact that he thought giving him slash marks on the corner of his eye would make him look cool.

Next is Moo Juice the miltank. Moo Juice has to the miltank with the most attitude. She will snap at anyone who does not show her enough respect. From the start, Moo Juice shown to be the best at holding against harsh attacks. She'll take anything anyone gives to her and shove it right back in their face. I guess that's why she thinks she deserves so much respect. Moo Juice has a gold earring in each ear.

Then comes Sunkiss the houndoom. I have a list of badass pokemon, and houndoom is definitely up there. One very important thing about Sunkiss; she will not hesitate to rip anyone to shreds. I learned that the hard way. I caught her in self defense while I was wandering around in the Safari Zone. She was a houndour at that time, and she was every bit as ferocious.

So me and Moo Juice were just minding our own business when Sunkiss pops out of no where and starts mauling me. It hurt like _hell_. I think Moo Juice tried to pry her off me, because she stopped slashing me enough so that I could throw a pokeball at her.

After that, I figured to hell with it and I kept her. And she was not happy with this, but eventually she warmed up to everyone and became a vital part to our time. She still likes to slash at people she doesn't like. I gave Sunkiss a sun tattoo on her upper right leg.

Finally, Mach 1 the skarmory. He was the last addition to my team. Mach 1 is my aerial expert. There is no flying pokemon he can't take down. He's a bit of a show off, but other than that he's really cool. And those black stripes on his wings make him look even cooler.

They all look pretty psyched. That's good, because I certainly am not. "Okay guys, this next battle is really important. And I mean really important. Important as in if I lose, I am screwed. Ariana will kill me. And we wouldn't want that, would you? So it's very important that we win this. Even though our opponent is really smart and strategic and good and I have no idea what the hell I'm doing half the time."

Now they start to look less psyched and more nervous. Oops. "Oh come on guys. It won't be that bad," I reassure. That didn't help. "Look, we're an awesome team and it's not that big of a deal. We won't lose." They look a little better, but still uneasy.

One of the staff opens the door. "Five minutes," he says. Then he leaves. God, he could have at least said 'good luck' or something.

"Five minutes until show time," I mutter and sit on the couch. I should probably think of a strategy or something. Sadly, that isn't my style. I just fight and win. That usually works, but now I get the feeling it's going to be a lot harder.

Five minutes is over a lot faster than I thought it would be. The mean staff guy barges in and orders me to return my pokemon. Each member of my team is returned safely to their pokeballs and the staff practically drags me down the hall.

"I can walk you know," I declare and rip myself from his grip. He snorts and walks faster so that I have to jog to keep up with him. Damn it, he's so irritating.

We reach the end of the hall, and he gestures towards the platform that will lift me up into the stadium. Without a goodbye, he walks away. I hope someone spills hot coffee on his crotch.

Sweat starts to bead on my forehead. Why am I so nervous? I _never_ get nervous and now suddenly I'm all sweaty. God, it's a girl. Everyone knows that girls suck at pokemon battling. They'd rather do contests and look all pretty. Yeah, this should be easy.

I can hear the announcer on the loudspeaker. He's just building up suspense because this is the finale. He's going on and on about how hard we worked and blah, blah, blah. Just get this over with.

"Hailing from Olivine City, the port with sea breezes, we have Axel!" The stadium is deafened by claps and cheers and screams and shouts and a bunch of other sounds mixed together.

The platform beneath me rises up and up until I am on the field. The crowd gets even louder. It's a perfect day out. Warm and sunny.

"And the challenger, from Ecruteak City, Konnie!" The crowd gets even louder as she rises into the battlefield. Guess she's the favorite.

I can see her better now. She has black hair, neatly pulled back into a ponytail. She has blue eyes and wears a plain red t-shirt and jeans. She looks so bland compared to me.

I look up at the screen to see my image. Blue eyes, brown hair dyed blonde at the tips, blue t-shirt ripped jeans, chains hanging from my pants. I look way more interesting.

"Each trainer will use six pokemon," the announcer says. The air immediately becomes tense. I've heard this so many times, yet its still exciting to hear. "The trainer with the last pokemon standing wins!" The crowd starts cheering like crazy. "Ready?" the announcer asks. Of course we're ready. Stop being so dramatic. "GO!"

I grab Moo Juice's pokeball from my belt and hurl it into the air. In a flash of red light, she appears. It's always good to start out with a normal type since they're so versatile. Moo Juice looks pumped. We are so going to win this.

Konnie threw her pokeball at almost the same time as me. A magneton appears. Magneton? That lame pokemon is the best she can do? Please.

"Axel has chosen Miltank and Konnie is using Magneton! This battle is going to be intense." The announcer continues to state the obvious.

"Moo Juice, Earthquake that thing to death!" I yell. Earthquake should knock that ugly thing out in one hit.

Moo Juice smashes the ground, and the practically breaks in half. Then a huge shockwave starts rushing towards Magneton along with a bunch of rocks and dust that's coming from the crack in the ground.

"Magnet Rise!" Konnie yells. Magneton glows yellow with electricity for a second, it rises further from the ground, and then the earthquake misses completely. What the hell was that?

"Magneton's Magnet Rise has made it immune to all ground type attacks," the announcer says, "This has put Axel in a very tight situation." Oh, fantastic.

This really sucks. It's only been one minute into the battle and I'm already screwed. "Moo Juice, Wake-Up Slap!" Moo Juice is pretty pissed. She charges at Magneton and slaps him until the thing is dizzy.

"Counter with Discharge," Konnie says calmly. Damn, she's not even a little bit nervous. Magneton starts blasting electricity everywhere, and it's a direct hit. But Moo Juice is strong, she can take that.

But as I look at Moo Juice, I can see that her motions are sluggish. Paralyzed, definitely. No trouble. "Heal Bell, quick!" I yell to her. She shakes her tail gently, and blue energy engulfs her body. In seconds, she is cured.

There is no way I'm gonna lose against this girl. That magneton has to be getting tired. "Ice Punch," I command. Ice Punch is one of Moo Juice's favorite moves, especially when the target freezes.

Her hoof starts to get all icy as she approaches Magneton. She smashes her hoof right into his face. Magneton seems unfazed.

Before Konnie can yell out another attack, I tell Moo Juice to perform Rollout. She curls into a tight ball and starts rolling in place to build up energy.

"Tri Attack, Magneton!" Konnie yells out. She seems a little urgent, too. My miltank has stored up enough energy, and she flings herself at Magneton, who retaliates by firing a white triangle at her.

It's no use. Moo Juice's bulk lets her get through the attack and smash into Magneton. The Magnet Pokemon looks like he's been hit hard, but that's only the start. Moo Juice whirls around and slams into it again, and again, and again, until it gives up and faints.

"Magneton is down!" The announcer screeches and the crowd cheers. Konnie returns Magneton, looking slightly annoyed. Then, she pulls another pokeball from her belt and releases a stream of red energy.

The energy forms a ninetales. This should be easy. Earthquake should knock it out no problem.

"Confuse Ray!" Konnie yells. Ah shit. Ninetales's eyes glow purple as a beam of energy hits Moo Juice dead on. She blinks, and then she starts wobbling around. Damn it all.

"Will-O-Wisp!" Ninetales fires a bunch of tiny blue fireballs that swarm around Moo Juice, burning her.

"Heal Bell, quickly!" This is getting really bad. Moo Juice stares blankly into space, confused. I hate Ninetales.

"Finish it with Flamethrower," Konnie says with a smile. A jet of red flame is released from the fox's mouth. It slams right into Moo Juice and she topples over. With that, she's out.

"Axel's Moo Juice is down! Konnie sure is putting him in a tight spot!" Yeah, whatever.

I grab Crocodilia's pokeball. I feel like using a type advantage is cheating, but who gives a damn. I need to win this.

I open the pokeball and release my feraligatr. He appears in a flash of red. Then he tilts his head back and roars. He likes to show off sometimes.

"Axel's next pokemon is Feraligatr!" The announcer states. "With a type advantage, will Axel be able to push the battle in his favor?"

Crocodilia looks up at me, ready to soak that Ninetales. I glance at Konnie, who still seems unfazed. Let's see how she feels after a little Hydro Pump.

"Hydro Pump, Crocodilia!" Crocodilia unleashes a huge surge of water that's headed straight for that scrawny little fox. And then it just leaps out of the way. Just hops right over it.

"Agile aren't we?" I hiss. "Surf!" Crocodilia released another surge of water, but this time in fans out and covers the entire battlefield. And Ninetales is washed away in it.

But as the water clears, it's still standing. "Dig," Konnie says plainly. Ninetales starts furiously digging in the ground, and within seconds it's gone. Shit.

"Uhh… Crocodilia, just watch out okay?" Crocodilia just grunts.

"It seems Konnie has pinned Axel into a corner once again!" Announcer Guy yells. And the crowd cheers. I hate Announcer Guy.

And then suddenly, Ninetales pops out of the ground. "Aqua Tail, quick!" I order.

"Will-O-Wisp!" Konnie yells. Crocodilia begins to gather streams of water around his tail, but at the same time, Ninetales forms a ball of blue flame. Just when Crocodilia bashes the fox with his tail, the fireball hits Crocodilia.

Ninetales finally falls to the ground. But now Crocodilia is burned. I really need to switch him out.

I return Crocodilia to his ball. I really need to win this battle. There's no way I'll let this annoying chick beat me. "Downbeat, go!" I yell and throw her pokeball. She emerges in a flash of red light.

"Kingdra," Konnie says and releases her seahorse pokemon. Oh great. If she gave me a type advantage, it must mean that she's planning something. Oh wait. Isn't Kingdra part dragon type? So… that means I don't have a type advantage. I do not like where this is going.


	3. Chapter 2

I could say I'm winning right now since I have more pokemon standing than her, but so far she's been really tough. Her kingdra looks like he could give Downbeat a hard time. I shouldn't be thinking like this. It's making me nervous.

"Kingdra, use Dragon Dance," Konnie orders. The way she commands her pokemon is really getting to me. She doesn't even look the tiniest bit uneasy. Kingdra makes a snorting sound, and crimson clouds start to swirl around him, giving his speed and strength a boost. That's not good.

"Discharge!" I yell. Downbeat's body starts to spark and she unleashes a huge wave of electricity onto the seahorse. That's a real good Discharge, it's sure to fry that thing.

"Protect!" Konnie shouts. A green barrier appears, deflecting the electricity. I see Konnie smile just a little.

"GOD DAMN YOU!" I scream at her. I frigging **hate** Protect! It's the cheapest move ever! Seriously it ruins all my battles.

"Discharge, again! Full power!" I shout again. Downbeat readies herself for another electric attack, but not before Konnie can make a move.

"Smokescreen!" Smoke puffs out from Kingdra's snout and spreads all over the battlefield. I can't see a damn thing, and neither can Downbeat. Fantastic.

"Don't stop!" I order her. Maybe she'll hit it. Electricity continues to build up on her fur until she releases a shockwave that covers the battlefield. I can't tell if she got the seahorse or not and there's no sign that she did.

"Ice Beam," Konnie says. I hate her. I hate her so much. Downbeat doesn't know where the Ice Beam will come from. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Sudden the white-blue frigid beam burst from the smoke so fast that Downbeat didn't have time to even think about dodging. It hit her right in the stomach and sent her stumbling backwards.

"Don't give up yet, Downbeat," I mumble. Downbeat is still standing, but there's a huge problem. A little patch of ice is forming on her. "Shoot. Downbeat, can you move?" I yell to her. She looks at me and bleats worriedly. I take that as a no. "It's okay, we can still win this," I reassure her.

"Hydro Pump, full power," Konnie commands. Oh hell no. A huge jet of water is blasted from Kingdra's snout. Downbeat is too sluggish to even attempt to dodge that thing. She gets hit dead on and goes flying. She collapses right in front of me, fainted.

The crowd cheers wildly as I return her to her pokeball. It sounds like the crowd is starting to prefer her over me. Well, I'm going to have to change that. Who to use next… Oh, I know.

"Mach 1!" I shout, tossing his pokeball out. It pops open, and he explodes from the red energy, letting out a loud squawk. Mach 1 ascends high above the arena. Let's see her little seahorse touch him now. "Ominous Wind!"

Mach 1 beats his wings, whipping up purple winds that shoot forward towards Kingdra. "Quickly, Protect!" Konnie yells out. A green barrier encircles the seahorse, and the wind brushes against it harmlessly. Then, it disappears. I frigging hate Protect.

Luckily, Mach 1 was already rocketing towards Kingdra. He smashed himself into the seahorse, which toppled over. "Nice! Now use Swift," I tell him. Mach 1 flaps his wings again, and this time dozens of little stars fly forward and smash into Kingdra. He's too dazed to evade. "Before it can do anything, use Slash!"

"Smokescreen!" Konnie commands. Smoke shoots out and camouflages Kingdra. I really don't like this thing. Mach 1 needs to get out of there and fast because that thing will not hesitate to attack.

"Mach 1, get ready and get away from there!" I tell him. He shrieks and flutters out of the way. "And get ready for your next move," I add. I like to keep his next move a secret. A huge pulse of blue energy bursts out of the smoke, but Mach 1 narrowly flies out of the way. His body is glowing.

If I were to unleash this next move, no doubt Konnie would pull another protect. So… I tell Mach 1 to use Swift. Just as predicted, the stars that swirl from his beak are broken into dust by Kingdra's Protect. I can see Konnie smiling.

"Sky Attack," I say, mimicking her calmness. Mach 1's body is encased in a blue light, and he plummets towards the seahorse. He used Protect already, and it's too soon to use another one. Mach 1 slams into Kingdra and he goes flying. He slams into the wall behind Konnie. Take that, Proton. I _do_ know how to use strategy.

"What a magnificent Sky Attack! Kingdra is down!" The announcer cries, his voice barely loud enough to hear over the crowd. There is no way I'm gonna lose this. Konnie returns her Kingdra. She's losing, yet she doesn't look the slightest bit scared. She is so damn annoying.

She looks at me straight in the eyes and gives me a glare. She's a sore loser. I bet she'll start crying when I beat her. Without breaking her state, she plucks a pokeball from her belt and taps the button.

A Froslass materializes from the red energy flash. An ice type? Should I switch Mach 1 out? That froslass doesn't look like much though. It's all scrawny without an ounce of toughness in it. Mach 1 can take this thing. No problem.

"Blizzard," Konnie orders. Froslass screeches and a huge gust of freezing wind thrusts from her mouth. It shoots towards Mach 1 and swirls around him. So god damn fast. I don't have the time to tell him to move.

Mach 1 plunges to the ground, his body rigid from the effects of Blizzard. Literally. In one hit, that Froslass took my skarmory down. One hit. That's all it took. God damn, she is good.

I return Mach 1 to the safety of his pokeball. Stupid ice type. Sunkiss will take care of it. I take her pokeball from my belt and release my houndoom. She immediately faces her opponent with a menacing glower. "Burn it to a crisp!" I yell.

Sunkiss howls and a blast of fire erupts from her mouth. "Double Team," Konnie says. The single froslass multiplies into three, four, oh God I don't even know how many. Sunkiss's Flamethrower hits one of the clones, which disintegrates. Not the right one.

"Roast them all until you hit it," I tell Sunkiss. With a fierce bark, she releases a steady stream of fire onto each of the Froslass. Each Froslass disappears. God damn, where is the real one?

"Thunderbolt!" Konnie yells suddenly. And then out of nowhere, there's the real Froslass with sparks flying off of her little ice horns. Sunkiss reacts quickly, avoiding the streams of electricity sent in her direction. Thank God she's quick thinking.

"Fire Blast it in the face!" I tell her. I see her smile slightly as an enormous explosion of fire streams from her mouth right into the Froslass's mug. That should knock it out.

Froslass falls limply to the ground, but it slowly gets up. Damn, this thing is tough. Without my order, Sunkiss blasts another round of fire at the Froslass. She doesn't like it when pokemon go down but don't stay down.

"Destiny Bond," Konnie tells Froslass. Destiny Bond? Oh. Oh crap. Not Destiny Bond. Anything but Destiny Bond. Just seconds before she is engulfed by flames, Froslass released a tiny ball of purple energy that circles around Sunkiss. Then, Froslass succumbs to the fire. The flames soon die down, revealing Froslass, fainted.

But then Sunkiss's image is projected on the big screen. It shows her looking stunned. Then stumbling and finally flopping to the ground. Destiny Bond is such a cheap ass move.

"Amazing! Konnie has managed to take down Axel's houndoom even after Froslass was down!" The announcer is really getting into this, and its pissing me off. And now I have two pokemon left, and Crocodilia is burned. But he's strong. I'm sure he can take whatever is thrown at him. Then Red Baron can finish the rest. Yeah. I got this. I'm gonna win. For sure. So I select my feraligatr's pokeball and release him into the battlefield.

"Axel has chosen Feraligatr, but he seems to be in pain!" The announcer lies. Crocodilia looks fine. He looks pumped. He's definitely gonna win this next battle. The camera focuses on Konnie. She picks another pokeball and releases the pokemon inside. It forms into a figure with a huge flower on its tiny body. Vileplume.

"GOD DAMN YOU!" I scream. The audience glares. Oops. I'm on TV. I should stop swearing. But seriously. Vileplume? God damn that thing. Its flower is so big that it should fall over. I hate Vileplume.

"Sunny Day," Konnie orders. The center of Vileplume's flower glows, and a white beam of light rockets into the sky. The sun starts beating down. It's hot. No, it's burning. I hate Sunny Day. I hate Konnie.

Well, whining is going to get me nowhere. "Ice Beam," I bark. Crocodilia (now that I look closer, I think he is a little tired) fires a bundle of ice particles that is ready to hit Vileplume dead on.

"Solarbeam," Konnie says. She sounds so goddamn triumphant. Vileplume's petals glow and the Solarbeam emerges from the center of its head. The green beam races towards Feraligatr's Ice Beam. The two attacks connect, and now each pokemon has to fight to beat the other's energy beam thing.

And it sucks because Croc is burned and crap and Vileplume is just fine and dandy. Its Solarbeam is starting to overpower Crocodilia's Ice Beam. This is bad. Crocodilia's gonna lose at this rate. There's gotta be some way to beat this stupid flower child. And the only idea I can think of is really risky. Great.

"Crocodilia!" He grunts a reply. Yeah, he's not doing well. "Okay, stop attacking and jump out of the way!" He grunts again, this time in shock. "Just do it!" Crocodilia stops his Ice Beam, and the Solarbeam surges towards him. He speedily jumps to the side and the sunbeam misses him completely. "Ice Beam!" Another frosty beam is fired from his mouth, and it hits right on target.

Vileplume teeters back and forth. I guess the force of the hit plus the huge ass flower is making it hard to stand up. It doesn't look ready to give up yet. "Crocodilia, whack it with a Dragon Pulse!" He roars excitedly, launching a spiraling cerulean ray. And then… BAM! Stupid little Vileplume was too dazed to see that thing coming.

"Vileplume is down!" the announcer screams. The sound the crowd makes is deafening. People are clapping, shouting, stamping on the ground. Konnie's only got one pokemon left. And I got two. Sweet.

Konnie still doesn't look worried. She's down to one pokemon. I got two. She should be a little worried. Just a tiny bit. But no, she stands with the same 'I don't care' look on her face. So irritating.

She grabs her final pokeball. The audience is suddenly silent. She raises the pokeball to her face. She examines it. Is she trying to suspenseful or something? Just release the damn pokemon already.

She clicks the button, and the famous flash of red light surges from the capsule. From the red light burst a purple feline. Huge ears, a split tail, red gem on forehead. It's another one of those stupid eevee evolution things. Espeon was it? What is with girls and those "adorable" pokemon?

"Konnie's final pokemon is Espeon!" The announcer exclaims. And the crowd cheers. Who are they even cheering for? One second they're cheering for me and the next second they're cheering for Konnie. Make up your mind!

"Let's finish this already!" I call to Crocodilia. "Hydro Pump!" He groans, and discharges a blast of water from his jaws. Actually, he just sputters a little water jet. What the hell? Oh, right. Stupid burn.

Espeon dodges with ease. Then, without its trainer's order, it fires a black blob of energy that speeds towards Crocodilia. So fast. My feraligatr is too tired to move. It hits him right in the face. Just like that, I'm down to one pokemon.

I return Crocodilia. Oh well. He put up a good fight. And he had a burn, too. Besides, I got Red Baron. He has a type advantage. I'm still gonna win this. Definitely. I pluck Red Baron's pokeball from my belt. Tracing the engraved Bug Catching Contest symbol on the sport ball, I can't hide my smile. Adding suspense is fun. Finally I click on the pokeball's button and watch Red Baron burst from the red beam.

He clamps his pincers together eagerly. We are ready to win this thing. "Axel's last pokemon is Scizor! Ladies and gentleman, this it the final battle!" The announcer sounds as excited as me. I can't wait to crush that girl. Maybe she'll cry.

"X-Scissor!" I shout, "Slice it to pieces!" Red Baron buzzes anxiously and sprints forward. His pincers start to glow green, and he slashes at Espeon.

"Light Screen!" Red Baron's claws are scraped against a brilliant yellow shield. Damn you Konnie. At least I have something to counter with.

"Brick Break!" In one swift motion, Red Baron smashes apart the barrier with a shining red claw. Pieces of glass scatter one the ground before turning into dust and blowing away with the wind.

"Shadow Ball!" I don't think so.

"Bullet Punch!" Red Baron is on top of that espeon in a flash, pummeling it with his silver claws. Espeon's eyes gleam violet, and then Red Baron is pushed away by some unseen energy. His body is lightly coated in purple. Psychic. Espeon throws Red Baron away from itself, but RB lands on his feet. He doesn't have a scratch on him. Espeon, on the other hand…

"Use Morning Sun to heal yourself, quickly!" Konnie shouts. Espeon's eyes glow again. Expect its white this time. Its whole body becomes encased in this white light, and then Espeon appears to be fully rejuvenated. Damn it. "Return!"

Espeon charges, fully energized. And it's really fast. I can see the gem in its forehead start to glow. Espeon slams itself into Red Baron. But he doesn't look like it even hurt. "X-Scissor!" I yell to him. Espeon is right next to him, there's no way she can get away.

"Light Screen!" Oh God _damn_ you Konnie. And again, Red Baron's claws scratch against the shield. I am so tired of this.

"Smash that shield with Brick Break!" Red Baron, looking ticked off, demolishes the barrier. Again.

"Use—"

"Bullet Punch!" I'm not gonna let that stupid espeon do another stupid attack. Red Baron is pounding it into the ground. I can see the thing's gem light up. Another Psychic attack or something. Not happening. "X-Scissor!" Red Baron slashes Espeon with his claws, looking very triumphant. Espeon manages to slip away, but not without two slash marks on its shoulder.

I think Konnie is looking a little worried now. She should be. Oh crap. What if she uses that Morning Sun thing again? She better not. "Calm Mind," Konnie says to Espeon. Espeon sits down and closes its eyes. Easy target.

"Use Iron Head," Red Baron immediately races towards Espeon, who is still sitting.

"Grass Knot." Oh hell no. Vines erupt from the ground and wrap themselves around Red Baron's feet. He tumbles to the ground, struggling to rip the vines off him. "Shadow Ball!" Another black blob is hurled towards Red Baron. And he can't move. Damn it. He takes the hit, ripping away from the vines and flopping on the ground.

"That didn't hurt, right RB?" I call out to him. He stands up and turns to smile at me. "Great! Give that thing a nice dose of Iron Head!" He responds with an energetic buzz and sprints towards Espeon.

"Future Sight!" Konnie cries.

"You'll be dead before that!" I yell back. Espeon's eyes glow for a second, and then Red Baron's skull smashes into it. And the thing's still standing. "Use Aerial Ace!"

"Psychic!" Espeon lifts Red Baron off the ground using telekinesis. It tosses him away.

"Stop that! Red Baron, X-Scissor! End this already!" I yell. He growls. Just as eager as me. This thing has been dragging out way too long. Red Baron dashes over to Espeon, reading to slash that thing into pieces.

"Grass Knot." Vines shoot out, grab Red Baron, and throw him on the ground. That is so annoying.

"I hope you know your attacks aren't doing much!" I yell to Konnie. She doesn't reply. Red Baron slashes the vines apart. Now he is definitely gonna end this. No Grass Knot or Light Screen or Morning Sun is gonna stop him.

There's a huge gust of wind all of the sudden. "Woah!" The announcer cries, "What is this? Could this be…?" His voice trails off. Could this be what?

Oh. Oh crap. Oh hell no. Future Sight. Goddamn Future Sight. I forgot about Future Sight! Out of nowhere, this huge orb thing just shoots out of the sky. Just shoots out of the sky and slams into Red Baron's back. Then it explodes. A huge explosion. Then Red Baron collapses. He can't be knocked out. I mean, it's not that big of an attack. Right?

"SCIZOR IS DOWN! Scizor is down! Espeon is the winner! Konnie from Ecruteak City has one the tournament!" God damn it. I hate you Konnie. I hate you announcer. I hate you, cheering crowd.

For the first time in the battle, Konnie smiles. Not a smirk, but an actual happy smile. Bitch. Espeon runs over to its trainer, who bends down to give it a nice pat on the head. I hate that espeon. How can a stupid cat thing beat Red Baron?

I return Red Baron to his pokeball. I never lose. Only like once or twice. Especially not to girls. Stupid Konnie. I seriously needed to win this. Oh God, Ariana is gonna _kill_ me.


	4. Chapter 3

I stare at my cell phone. How am I gonna break the news to them? I wasn't supposed to lose anything! Ever! I'm like one of the top trainers. I haven't lost a single battle since I joined Team Rocket. At least, I think I haven't lost. Well maybe I slipped up once or twice but that's not important.

Ariana didn't really tell me why it was so important for me to win the tournament. That doesn't really matter though. When Ariana wants something done, and it doesn't get done, _**someone dies**_. Well, not really, but she gets all pissed and starts freaking out. And it's actually pretty hot.

Maybe I should wait. Do I really have to call her now? I just lost like ten minutes ago. Maybe I should just relax for a bit. It's the middle of the day, the sun is shining and the sky is blue and bright. And come on, I'm in National Park. And it's the best park in Johto. I should enjoy myself.

I stop staring at the sky and look to see Red Baron, eying me. I stare back at him. He doesn't drop his gaze. "This is all your fault you know," I say to him. His stare hardens. "You had a type advantage. A _type advantage_. And that cat thing beat you! How could you let that happen!"

I feel a hard thump on my back. Moo Juice is glaring at me. God, for a cow, she can punch hard. I bite my lip. "Alright, I'm sorry. It's just that I'm upset. And I know we're all upset. We don't lose often, and I think—"My phone suddenly vibrates in my hand. Damn, she called me first.

I quickly wave my team away, and I bring the phone up to my ear. "Axel." Ariana's voice is cool and calm. Then, she says, very slowly, "You lost."

So I just blurt the words out. I try to explain myself. Konnie was a tough opponent. She had powerful Pokemon. It was like she was always one step ahead of me. She was reading my mind or something.

Ariana stops me. "I am very disappointed in you." She doesn't sound angry. Not the slightest bit. But I know that underneath her icy calmness, she is furious. "We needed the money."

I force a laugh. "Oh, please. You didn't _really_ need the money."

"That's not the point. I had believed that you were a skilled trainer Axel, perhaps I am mistaken. Now I'll probably have to find someone else to do your job."

"My job? What's my job?" Oh thank God. A mission, _finally_. I've been doing nothing for way too long.

"It doesn't matter now," Ariana replies. "I do not believe you have the skills to accomplish this mission after your last performance."

I turn on to groveling mode. "I'm sorry! I slipped up once, just once! Never again, I promise! I'll feed Arbok for a week! No two! Two weeks! And I'll—"

"Okay, okay. I'll give you another chance. But mess this up and…" She has no need to finish her sentence. I can already imagine the punishment. She takes a deep breath. "Axel, this mission is **important**_**.**_ You can **not** mess this up. Understand?" I nod, even though she's not here to see me nod. The takes another deep breath.

"You have heard of the Volcano Pokemon, correct?"

Volcano Pokemon. They shoved this kind of stuff down our throats in school. "Quilava? No, no, Typhlosion? Typhlosion, right?"

"No, Axel." She sounds ticked. "Entei."

"Entei? Hold on, don't tell me. That legendary beast that emerged from the Brass Tower. Oh and every time it roars, a volcano is said to erupt. But that's just a legend."

"Yes, yes, that's nice. Glad you paid attention in history class. I need you to listen carefully now. This is a vital part of a very important plan. Do not mess this up."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Get on with it." I'm getting impatient. God, she always drags everything out.

"Entei is a pokemon of great power. Power that Team Rocket needs. Do not ask me why we need this power. Do not ask me what we will do with this power. Just do as I say."

I nod again. Oh my God. She can't see you Axel, remember? "Okay," I tell her.

"Axel, I want you to capture Entei." I try to stifle my gasp. Capture Entei? Seriously? Me? But I want this mission so badly. I can't freak out now. "It sounds difficult, but we will provide you with all the tools you will need to complete this task. We have made pokeballs that have an extremely high capture rate, and we are in the process of tracking Entei down. We will call you when we find it. I want this done in a week. One week. Understand?"

I forget to answer her for a moment. "Understand?" she says again, harshly.

"Oh y-yes! Yes, Ariana. Sir. I-I mean ma'am. Ma'am." There's no response. "Ariana?" She already hung up. God, she's such a bitch.

I turn off my cellphone. And then I just stare at the blank screen. I can feel my heart pounding, but I don't know if it's from excitement, adrenaline, fright, anticipation or something else.

I stand up and wander over to where my team is. They're waiting for me. "Guys, you're not gonna believe what just happened." I pause, and they lean forward, just dying to hear what I have to say. "We are going to find Entei and—"

"Entei?" I jump like ten feet into the air. I swear my heart stops for a second. "Sorry, did I scare you. I just—"

I spin around and glare at her. Konnie. I should have known. "Scared? _**Scared? **_You nearly gave me a heart attack! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

She frowns. "I'm sorry; I just wanted to congratulate you."

Oh great. She's rubbing it in my face. I think this might be karma for all the crap I do to people. "You are an excellent battler." Then she holds her hand out. As if I _want_ to shake her hand.

"Yeah, that's great. Now get going." I push her hand away from me. But she doesn't leave.

"Wait a second. It's just that I heard you talking about Entei." Oh crap. What am I supposed to tell her?

"Oh yeah. That. Um… we were going to… find and research Entei. The one from the Burned Tower. Yeah." I see Mach 1 glare at me. You'd think I'd be a better liar after all these years.

"Really? Because I spent a few months studying the legendary beasts. Particularly Entei."

I stare at her. "So?"

"So I was thinking I could help you with your research." Oh fantastic. Now she wants to come along with me. Should I just knock her unconscious now or wait? I catch Sunkiss's eye. She has that canine smile on her face. She's got a plan, but I don't.

Hold on a second. I don't know shit about Entei, but Konnie does. I could use her! She could tell me all its weaknesses and help me track him, and then I just knock her out or something. That will be so badass.

So I give her one of my charming smiles (I see Crocodilia roll his eyes). "Sure why not?" She returns the smile. Despite crushing me and being a bitch, I have to admit that she still looks kind of cute. "So how about we get some coffee or something?" Sunkiss growls at me.

"Sure," Konnie says, "I used to come to this café around here. I remember it had really good coffee. C'mon, I'll show you where it is." She starts walking down a path, but before I can follow her, Downbeat tugs on my arm.

I push her away. "Relax I know what I'm doing. Just stay here and play or whatever." Crocodilia gives me the you-better-not-screw-this-up look I've seen so many times before.

I catch up with Konnie, just in time to see the café. It looks like an ordinary coffee shop, with a sign with a Pichu on it. It's called National Park Café. How original.

Inside, there are not a lot of people. One guy is sitting alone, and there are two people talking in the corner. "Take a seat, I'll get the coffee."

I take the table nearest to the window. Outside, I see Moo Juice, staring at me from a distance. Then suddenly, Mach 1 is tapping on the glass. "Get out of here," I hiss. He glares at me. "I know what I'm doing. Go away."

"Who're you talking to?" I jump in my seat. Konnie. I look back out the window. Mach 1 is gone.

"How many times are you going to give me a heart attack?" Konnie laughs and hands me my coffee.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." She sits across from me. I take a sip of my coffee. It's hot and bitter and disgusting. I force it down. Why did I get coffee? I don't even like coffee. I hate it. So I grab some sugar packets and start tearing them open and dumping them in my coffee. I look up. Konnie is staring at me.

"What?" I start to stir my coffee with a straw.

"Nothing. I've never seen someone put that much sugar in their coffee before." She takes a sip. How can anyone drink something that tastes like dirt? She sets down her cup. "So how long have you've been a trainer?"

"Um, well I caught Crocodilia when I was twelve, and I started battling around that time. So, I guess I've been a trainer for five years."

"You're seventeen?" She sounds surprised.

"Almost eighteen. How old are you?"

"I'm seventeen, too." I stared at her.

"Seriously? You act like you're twenty five or something. You look a lot older."

She smiled. "I thought you were older as well." Out of the corner of my eye, I see something yellow dart across the window. Downbeat. Why can't they leave me alone? They _always_ do this whenever I try to date someone.

"So when did you become a trainer," I said quickly. Just to get her talking so I could shoo Downbeat away.

"Oh, my parents gave me Espeon when I was ten. He was an Eevee at the time, of course. But I never really left to go train or anything. I wasn't brave enough to go off on my own."

"Yeah, I never left home either. Except I was too lazy." I remember when I was ten my friend Jake went off as soon as he got his hands on a Sentret. He came back crying an hour later. Most ten year olds from Olivine didn't go farther than Route 39.

"So, where are you staying?" Konnie asked me.

"I don't know the name of it. It's a really small hotel in this park. Judging by the originality of the names, I'm guessing it's called National Park Hotel or something."

"I think you mean the Park Hotel."

"Yeah, I think that's it." It was a really bad hotel too. The TV reception sucked. And the food wasn't good. But I had to rent it because it was cheap. I'm pretty sure Ariana has tons of money that she won't give me and she uses it to buy something stupid. Like purses. Or something girly like that.

Konnie was apparently talking, but I guess I zoned out. "So, she says, where do you want to meet tomorrow?"

I gawk at her. Is she asking me out? Oh, wait. Entei. Damn, I forget things so easily. "Oh. Um… How about here? At nine, so we can get an early start." Why did I say nine? I'll probably sleep in.

"Okay, I'll be there." She finishes her coffee, thanks me, and leaves. I haven't even touched my coffee. I take another sip. It's still disgusting.

I handed Moo Juice my coffee. She sniffed it, and then gulped it down. I was sitting on my bed in the crappy hotel room.

"Look, I know it seemed like a stupid idea. But come on, she's from Ecruteak! That's where Entei was born, right? And she spent months studying it. She'll make this so much easier." They're silent. Red Baron is glaring at me. I guess he's still mad about earlier. "Okay I already have a plan. So she leads us to Entei and then Sunkiss uses Smog. And then… I knock her out… or something." They don't believe me. And honestly, I don't believe myself.

I kick my shoes off and pull the covers over me. "I got this. Trust me. For once. Now turn off the lights and wake me up at eight thirty. I need to meet Konnie at the café."

I close my eyes. The lights are still on. "Shut off the lights." I hear Red Baron growl, and then the lights finally switch off.

And when I wake up, it's eight fifty. I immediately jump out of bed and step on Sunkiss's tail. She snaps awake and digs her frigging teeth into my shin. "Get the hell off me! Why didn't you wake me up you stupid mutt!" I kick her off me, and by now everyone else is waking up. "Why didn't you wake me up you stupid—Damn it Sunkiss I'm bleeding."

I take a shower, and it's cold. I hate cold showers, but there's no time to wait for it to warm up. Stupid hotel. Stupid pokemon. I finish that shower in like twenty seconds. Not nearly long enough.

I throw some random clothes and I brush my hair. And now it's almost nine. Oh my God. I start to frantically search for my pokeballs. "Get in your pokeballs. Now! Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!" They scramble, shifting through my stuff. I find Moo Juice's pokeball and toss it at her. No wait, that's Downbeat's. I see my Ampharos materialize, and then Crocodilia finds his and then Red Baron pulls his pokeball from under the bed.

And then, they're gone. Now just six pokeballs lying on the ground. I snatch each one of them up and attach them to my belt. Then I grab Sunkiss's pokeball and glare at it. I'm not even sure if she can see me. But I lean in and I whisper, "You're gonna get spayed the next time you bite me. You hear me?"

I grab my bag filled with all my stuff (hopefully) and then I grab my cellphone. I race down three flights of stairs since this place is too cheap for an elevator. Then I run out the door. I swear if I forgot anything I am going to strangle my team and hide their bodies in a dumpster.

Konnie is already waiting at the café and when I get there I'm gasping for breath. I'm so out of shape. "Sorry, I woke up late," I gasp. "I'm sorry." She starts to stay something, but the there's someone standing at the side of the café, and he's staring at me. Like he wants me to come over or something. "Um how about you get us some coffee or something," I say quickly. She looks mad that I interrupted her (I didn't even realize she was talking) but she nods and goes inside.

I hope this random guy isn't some kind of creep or something. But when I run over to him, he looks sort of familiar. Maybe I've seen him wandering around the base once. He looks at me then grunts, "You Axeldust?" He's bald and has a scruffy beard made out of stubble.

"Uh yeah," I say. Then he takes a bag from his pocket. He opens it and pulls out a pod about the size of my fist. He points to a button on the top.

"Press this and it opens into a net. The net's real tough to break out of, trust me." Then he pulls out a vial full of green powder. "Sleep powder taken from a Victreebel." Then he shows me a vial of purple powder. "Poison powder, and this yellow one's paralyzing powder." Then he takes out a syringe with gray liquid. "This here is a combination of toxins from a Vileplume. Use it if all else fails. It's very powerful."

"Um, what's all this stuff for," I ask him. He stares at me.

"Entei you dumbass," he hisses. Oh yeah, Entei. Ariana did say something about giving me tools and stuff. I guess this is her messenger person. He puts the vials back in the bag and then he rummages around for something else. Then, he pulls out a ball. I think it's a pokeball, but it sure doesn't look like one. It's black all over. And not white on the bottom like most pokeballs. It's just plain black. I remember Ariana saying something like a special pokeball or something. "This is a very special pokeball. This should catch Entei without too much trouble. There's about five in here, but they're very valuable. Try not to loose too many." The black pokeballs roll back in the bag. He shoves it into my hands and looks me in the eye. "Do not mess this up Axel. Understand?" And I nod because for some reason I can't speak.

"Axel?" Konnie is calling for me. The weird bald guy glances in her direction. Then he shoves something in my hands mutters something and then he's gone. Just like that.

I look down at the thing in my hand. It's small, gray, and square like some kind of cellphone. He said it was a tracking device. I'm guessing it's for Entei. I flip it open, and there's some kind of map and a red blinking dot.

"Hey, I got your coffee." I whirl around and there's Konnie, with two coffees in her hand.

"I told you to stop that!" I yell at her. She frowns, but then she instantly smiles again. Does she ever get mad or frustrated?

"Oh sorry, did I scare you again?" She hands me some coffee. Why did I ask for coffee I don't like coffee. But I take it from her anyway.

"Yes," I reply and I take a sip. Still gross, but I force it down. It would be a lot worse to spit it out all over her. She takes the tracking device.

"What's this?"

I snatch it back from her immediately. "It's a tracking device. For Entei. My… um… my coworker gave it to me. Yeah." I stare at the digital map. It's definitely a map of Johto. I think I see National Park somewhere in there. And that's Goldenrod I'm pretty sure. The red blinking dot isn't too far from us. "I think Entei's running around Route 35."

Konnie takes the tracker from my hands and looks at it. "No, I think it's on Route 36." Show off. I grab the tracker back and shove it in my pocket. She doesn't seem to care. Instead she takes out her Pokegear and checks the time. "It's only nine ten. We could get there in about twenty minutes if we go fast enough." She shuts her Pokegear, sticks it in her pocket, and then just runs away. Damn, not only is she smart, she's fast. Is there anything this girl isn't amazing at?

"Come on!" she yells. I'm in no mood to run again. But she's getting farther away, so I just groan and I race after her.

By the time I catch up, she's slowed down to a walk. She looks at me, and just smiles. And then she takes off again. For a moment I just stare after her. I should just get Sunkiss out now and rip off her limbs.

Konnie suddenly stops, and I bump into her. "What is it?" I gasp. She stares at me.

"Are you alright? You're breathing kind of hard."

"I'm fine," I pant, "Just tell me why you stopped." She continues to stare at me, but then she points to a tree. It's just a regular old tree. But then I look closer, and I see three slashes in the bark. "It's just an Ursaring. What's the big deal?"

She rolls her eyes at me. "Axel, an Ursaring has five claws. Entei only has three."

"So?"

"So, it's likely that Entei is around here."

"You can't just assume that it's Entei. Think about all the other Pokemon that have three claws."

She takes my arm and pulls me closer to the tree. She points out the blackened wood surrounding the claw marks. Burn marks. "It could be a Growlithe. Growlithe live around here right?

"Growlithe have two claws." Damn it she's good. I take out the tracking device and flip it open. The blinking red dot isn't far away from where we are. Assuming we're that little green dot.

Konnie grabs my arm, and now she's dragging me down the trails. At least I'm not running. Now I can enjoy the scenery. Pidgey chirping, a nice breeze, trees lining on either side of me.

Then she pulls me over to a tree dotted with little round things. Berries? I wasn't much of a berry person. "Berries? What's the big deal?"

She rolls her eyes at me like I'm an idiot. "These are Custap berries. They're extremely hard but very sweet" I pluck one of the berries off. It's like a rock in my mouth. I can't seem to bite into it.

OW! Ow, oh Arceus, that hurt. Ow my tooth. I spit it out. How could anyone eat that thing!

Konnie is giggling at me. "I told you it was hard." I glare at her, but she doesn't seem to care. So irritating. "Anyway, Custap berries are popular amongst many Pokemon."

"So? It could be a Growlithe? It could be any Pokemon, you can't—"

"A few months ago, a couple of people from Ecruteak spotted an Entei. This particular Entei was believed to be the one from the Burned Tower because it was larger than other Entei that had been spotted and it had longer and shinier fur. So they tried to lure Entei closer for a better look. They collected some berries, and scattered them around the area. They discovered that Entei preferred the Custap berry above all other berries. It is believed to be its favorite snack. Notice how many berries have been pulled of their stalks? It must have been a large Pokemon considering how many berries are missing."

"Yeah but what if it was multiple Pokemon. Or a Growlithe." Konnie glares at me. "Okay fine. Oh Konnie you're so smart. It's obviously Entei." She just shakes her head and continues to walk down the path. I am going to enjoy knocking her out.

Looking at the tracker, I can tell that Entei is nearby. I still got a bad feeling about this. Nothing seems to be really adding up. I still think that we're just tracking a Growlithe. And if that happens, I will set Konnie on fire.

"Axel, stop! Don't come any closer!" Konnie yells suddenly.

"What? What is it? What did I do?"

She grabs my arm and pulls me down to my knees. She points to a spot on the side of the road. It's a dried up muddle puddle, with a huge footprint in the middle. I roll my eyes. "Growlithe."

"How many claws does a Growlithe have, Axel?"

"… Two. But it could have been a back paw!"

"True, but tell me, Axel, how big are a Growlithe's paws?"

"… Arcanine?"

She laughs and pats my head. "They have completely different paw shapes. Besides, this is identical to any Entei footprint ever recorded." She stands up, stretches. "What does the tracker say?"

I flick it open. The blinking red dot is nearly on top of the smaller stationary green dot. "He's really close." So we have a footprint now. That gives me an idea.

I grab Sunkiss's pokeball and release her. She glances at Konnie, then at me. I shake my head. Not yet. She growls, impatient. Just as anxious as me. "Sunkiss, I want you to sniff around and see if you can find a scent."

"That's a great idea," Konnie says, "Here; I'll get Ninetales out to help." She reaches for a pokeball on her belt.

"No!" Konnie stares at me. "Um. You know, we shouldn't have too many out. So we don't, you know, attract attention?" She shrugs, and her hand moves away from her belt.

Sunkiss barks suddenly. "Did you find it?" I ask her. She nods. "Is it a Growlithe?" She growls and snaps at my hand. "I was just kidding, Sunkiss." She snarls and then takes off. I'm guessing we're supposed to follow her, though I wasn't planning on running.

We run through the woods, getting scraped by thorns and nearly tripping over roots. Sunkiss pauses to sniff every now and then, but she immediately takes off. All of a sudden, she stops. I don't even need to ask her why.

On top of the hill just a few meters away is Entei. It's looking off to the side, with the wind blowing its long brown mane. It's so majestic looking with its flowing cape and shining yellow crest.

I don't think I can do this. I mean just look at it! It's big and powerful and regal and noble. It can probably spit lava or something. This is too dangerous. I'm going to die if I try to get that thing.

Sunkiss tugs on my pant leg. She glances at Konnie. Then she stares at me. She's giving me that look that says 'just shut up and do it you pussy'. So I take a deep breath and I nod. She grins at me and then she turns around to face Konnie. I take out the vial containing the sleep powder just as Sunkiss opens her mouth and spews out purple smoke. The smoke quickly surrounds Konnie.

She didn't even expect it. I hear her gasp in surprise, but then she starts coughing. The smoke continues to stream out of Sunkiss's mouth. I uncap the vial and pour some of the powder in my hand. This better be enough to knock her out for awhile.

I jump into the cloud of smoke and tackle Konnie to the ground. She's lying on her stomach, thank God. She can't see me. I sprinkle the powder on her face. She eventually stops struggling, and then she is limp. Asleep, I hope. Because if she's dead then…

I drag her out of the thinning smoke cloud and prop her against a tree. I take out a rope from my bag and, with Sunkiss's help, tie her to the tree. Then I take out a two bandannas and tie one around her mouth, and the other around her eyes. I'm such a badass.

I pat Sunkiss's head. "Just for that, I'm no longer mad at you. Now come on, we got an Entei to catch." I look back at the hill. Entei is still there, plucking something off of a tree and eating it. Probably Custap berries.

I release my other Pokemon. I already have the perfect plan. And it's going to be a good plan, not like my other plans.

* * *

You probably noticed how I started to capitalize Pokemon names. It just felt better to write Pikachu instead of pikachu. I prefer it this way, and it will stay that way forever and ever.


End file.
